(MENAFN) Poland is projected to spend almost 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health issues linked to obesity by 2060, nearly double the level recorded in 2019, according to reports based on a new analysis by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE).

The state-run think tank forecasts that Warsaw’s spending will reach 4.86% of GDP, placing Poland second in the European Union behind Bulgaria, where obesity-related costs could climb to 7.08%.

Drawing on data from the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ), the report shows that 64.5% of Polish adults are overweight, with 26.8% classified as obese.

On a global scale, obesity-related expenses are expected to rise from 2.19% to 3.29% of world GDP by 2060. In 2019, the United States alone accounted for nearly 38% of total global costs.

The findings indicate that low- and middle-income countries are likely to experience the sharpest cost increases—potentially up to 25 times higher—due to “dynamic socioeconomic changes... including rapid urbanization, a shift toward office work and a decline in physical activity,” according to the report. The surge is also tied to dietary changes, with more people consuming foods high in fats, sugars, and salt.

PIE noted that 12 EU member states have already implemented taxes on unhealthy foods, and the European Union aims to standardize such measures across the bloc. Researchers estimate that OECD countries will devote about 8% of their healthcare budgets to obesity-related conditions between 2020 and 2050.

The report underscores that without significant policy action, obesity could impose a growing economic burden on both Poland’s healthcare system and its broader economy in the coming decades.

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